As tape capacity increases with each generation, smaller and smaller track spacing is being demanded along with tighter Track MisRegistration (TMR) requirements and increased linear density such that tape capacity can be effectively increased without an accompanying loss in data integrity.
As this occurs, the Tape Dimensional Stability (TDS) of the tape medium itself becomes more of a factor in the TMR budget. This TDS factor can be mitigated by improving the media properties, e.g., controlling the temperature, humidity, and tension environments, and by minimizing the overall track spacing as written by the head in a single pass.
Therefore, a magnetic tape with reduced overall track spacing that mitigates the TDS factor would be beneficial to the field of magnetic tapes and magnetic tape data writing and/or reading.